Masking the Thunderstorm
by Inume-blue
Summary: about a boy, his dad, and a Mask. rated T to be safe


**Masking The Thunderstorms **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

**Mid May-**

The four year old landed hard on his side, his breath leaving him in a huff. The boy brought a shaky hand up to wipe the sweat from his forehead. The bright May day was already very hot even though it was not yet ten in the morning. A tall man walked towards him before bending down to pick him up, brushing the dirt and dead grass off him.

"I think you've had enough for today." Sakumo said

"No! I haven't even _touched_ the bell yet!" the boy stated stubbornly.

"Kakashi the academy doesn't start till after your birthday in September anyway. You have all summer to try and take the bell away from me. Besides unless you come at me with the intent to kill, you're not going to get it." Sakumo reasoned

Instead of answering Kakashi stepped back into a fighting stance, his eyes dared his dad to make the next move. Sakumo just sighed before turning away.

"You know instead of coming at me head on all the time maybe you should try to strategize some. It would also help if you worked on schooling your emotions. Your face is an open book. That's deadly to a shinobi. Practice your poker face then come see me." Sakumo said walking across their backyard and heading inside.

Kakashi flopped down on his back with a huff stretching his arms and legs out. He looked up at the cloudless sky lost in thought.

The next morning at seven exactly Sakumo Hatake stepped out into his back yard and looked for his son to begin their routine training. Sakumo's head turned even as he jumped backwards. Shuriken lodged in the tree he had been standing by moments ago. But he realized his error as his foot came down on some wire strings he had not noticed before. The strings he had stepped on had triggered a trap that sent a barrage of kunai to fly towards his head. He parried them easily with his own even as more shuriken came at him from both sides. Kakashi suddenly appeared in the air above him bringing his foot down in an arch aiming for his father's head. Sakumo launched himself into a backflip dodging both shuriken and foot. Kakashi's momentum threw him into the path of the shuriken intended for his dad. He was hit on both sides before disappearing in a cloud of smoke. A shuriken riddled log fell to the ground instead where it bounced once before rolling to its side. Sakumo smiled at the perfectly executed substitution jutsu.

"Nice strategy, you're starting to think. And that substitution was excellent. Did you set all this up last night?" Sakumo asked looking up into the leafy canopy of the giant oak.

Kakashi jumped from his hiding place and looked at his dad. Sakumo laughed out loud at his son.

"Nice. Going for a more traditional ninja look are we?" Sakumo asked with a smile staring at Kakashi's black turtle neck that had been pulled up and modified into a mask. It covered his son's face right below the eyes and disappeared under his gray t-shirt. Kakashi had even cut the long sleeves off.

"You know I still want you to work on your poker face. If you use the mask all the time it will just become a crutch." Sakumo advised.

Kakashi nodded then stepped into a taijutsu fighting stance.

"I thought we could practice genjutsu today"

"I hate genjutsu." The boy said

"Only because you suck at it. Come on, prefect practice makes perfect. And my genjutsu is perfect. Who knows, maybe it will rub off on you." Sakumo boasted with a smile.

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

**Early July**

Dark clouds had gathered over the slumbering Konoha blocking out most of the moon and the stars. The Hatake residence was dark and quite. A figure slipped into the master bedroom and approached the slumbering man on the bed. Sakumo awoke to someone sitting on his chest pressing a kunai against his throat. The moon came out from behind the clouds highlighting the small person on his chest, who held the kunai with one hand and held out his other palm up.

"Bell." The one word was a command. Sakumo looked at his son who was not wearing his mask. His face and eyes were unreadable. The blank expression and monotone voice kind of creped him out.

"Kakashi when I said come at me with intent to kill I did not mean in an assassination attempt." Sakumo joked.

"Bell." Kakashi said blinking once, his face impassive.

"And if I refuse?" Sakumo vaguely wondered at how far his son would go.

Kakashi answered by channeling a small bit of his lightning chakra into the kunai delivering his dad a small shock. That answered that. Sakumo sighed reaching across to his nightstand and picking up the little silver bell. It jingled faintly as he handed it over. Sakumo smiled ruefully. Kakashi could have easily stolen the bell during the night. He just wanted the satisfaction of his dad admitting defeat.

Once he deemed that the bell was safely in his possession Kakashi lowered the kunai and leaned back. He grinned cheekily down at his dad.

"You know dad you never said how to get the bell away from you. You just said to get it."

"I know, I know little smart ass." His dad mumbled.

Just then lightning lit up the room followed by a loud clap of thunder. The clouds outside simultaneously burst open and rain pelted the roof and washed down the windows. Sakumo smiled knowingly at the boy next to him who was clinging to his pajama shirt for dear life. Kakashi had jumped and dropped the kunai on the floor, darting under the blankets next to his dad before the first roll of thunder had even finished.

"Who would have thought that the boy with lightning release chakra would be afraid of a little thunderstorm?" Sakumo mussed.

Kakashi stuck his head out. "I'm not afraid!" he said with and indignant huff. Another clap of thunder punctuated his remark and Kakashi yelped before darting back under, his face pressed to his dad's side. Sakumo chuckled and watched as his son fidgeted a bit before sitting back up. His silver spiky hair was even more mused and stuck up from the static acquired from diving under the blankets.

"Um dad?" Kakashi whispered

"Hmm?"

"Can I sleep here tonight?"

"Sure." Sakumo said.

Kakashi snuggled down into the pillows and soon fell asleep knowing his dad was there watching over him. Sakumo unconsciously pulled his son more securely against him. His thoughts of earlier that day drifted back to him. War had broken out and the third had asked him to go on a specialized mission. He wasn't worried for himself. He was worried for his son and village. He sighed and made a silent promised to protect his son no matter what. Finally the sound of the rain hitting the roof lulled him into a deep sleep, but not too deep. He was the white fang after all, his son had just gotten lucky. At least that's what he told himself.

**Late September **

Sakumo had gotten back from his faraway mission but he still seemed far away to Kakashi.

"Dad?" Kakashi tugged on his father's sleeve, but got no response form the older man who sat staring straight ahead at the wall.

"I'm finished with my chores. I'm going to bed now." Kakashi was once again met with silence.

"Okay well…goodnight." He whispered quietly turning away.

Kakashi lay in his bed wearing his new gray t shirt with attached mask his dad gave him. He was troubled and was having a hard time finding sleep. Sakumo had returned two weeks ago and each day since had turned inside himself more and more. The past couple of days he had ended up in that chair and didn't even acknowledge Kakashi. Earlier that day Kakashi took a china plate, stood in front of his dad and threw it as hard as he could against the wall. It shattered and his dad hadn't even flinched. He didn't know what to do so Kakashi did what any other five year old would; he sighed and rolled over before finally falling into an uneasy sleep hoping that the morning light would shed some answers.

Sakumo stood in the door way to his son's room watching his sleeping figure. He had failed. He had failed his mission. And now he would fail his son. He had promised to protect him, but he could not protect him from the shame he had brought on the family name. He could not protect him from the cruel words that people would utter in tones _just_ loud enough to hear. He could not protect him from the dirty looks of scorn throw their way if they went anywhere. He could not protect him from the hate. He could not protect him from the pain.

"I will do what I can to get even a little bit of honor back. I will do it for you son. I'm sorry, please forgive me." He whispered. Kakashi stirred but did not wake. Sakumo slipped quietly away.

A roll of thunder startled him awake. Kakashi sat up in bed disoriented for a moment before finally slipping out of covers. He moved to the wall and felt for the light switch but when he flipped it, nothing happened. The storm had knocked the power out. Another clap of thunder propelled him towards his dad's room. But Sakumo's bed was empty. Kakashi stepped back looking down the dark, seemingly long hallway. He gulped but inched his way to the living area.

Kakashi hesitantly approached the back of the chair his dad had taken to recently only to find it empty.

"Dad?" his voice though quiet felt very loud in the dark room.

It was then that a dark shape ahead on the floor caught his eye. Laying on his side curled in on himself was Sakumo. It was dark but Kakashi was sure it was him.

"Dad?" Kakashi tried again but received no answer.

"Dad. Please I…" his voice was shaking now he took a few tentative steps forward and stopped. A flash of lightning illuminated the room and it was then Kakashi noticed the blood. He wasn't a legendary genius like his father, but Kakashi knew then that his dad would never answer him again. A few minutes or maybe hours, he wasn't sure; Kakashi realized there were tears streaming down his face. Knowing his dad would scold him for displaying such emotion he pulled his mask up with shaky fingers.

Somehow he managed to crawl over to his dad's huddled figure. Laying down he curled into his own ball against his dad back. Kakashi trembled as thunder clapped overhead.

That's how Kakashi was found the next day. Sakumo had an important meeting to attend that morning but never made it. A messanger had shown up to check on things and found the young boy lying in a pool of his dad's blood.

ANBU and other officials moved in and out of the house briskly and talked in serious tones. A medical examiner had been called in and declared cause of death to be a self-inflicted stab wound. The medic then noticed Kakashi sitting in the corner.

"Hey someone get that kid outta here and take him to the hospital immediately." He ordered.

An ANBU member turned his porcelain face to Kakashi and hurried over to him. The young man knelt down to the boy's level. Kakashi inched away from him; he never did care for ANBU members.

"Hey kid, are you hurt?" the masked man asked. Kakashi looked away and said nothing.

"Here…better?" he asked after he pulled his mask away to revile a pair of bright blue eyes and spiky blond hair. Kakashi looked at him then turned away.

"Kakashi was it? My name is Minato. I'm going to take you to the hospital now okay?" Minato Namikaze was again met with silence. He sighed; it was going to be a long day.

At the hospital the nurse stepped out of Kakashi's room and into the hallway where Minato was waiting.

"Is he okay?" Minato asked coming up to her.

"I can't tell. He won't talk and there is so much blood I can't tell if any of it is his or not. And he won't let me take off his damn mask let alone his shirt it's attached to. I need your help. Could you talk to him or at least hold him down?" She asked.

"I'll see what I can do."

Minato had somehow convinced Kakashi to change and let the doctors look at him. He soon found himself cleaned up and wearing a hospital shift and shorts. Kakashi pulled the blankets over his face. He decided then and there that he hated hospitals.

A funeral was held a few days later. It consisted of the Third Hokage, Kakashi, Minato, who held Kakashi's hand, and two men assigned to close up the grave. Nobody felt a need to attend the funeral of the White Fang of Konoha, who had brought dishonor to the Hidden Leaf. That day Kakashi heard the loud whispers and felt the pointed stares at his back. And when he heard a woman exclaim how he looked just like his father he pulled his mask up and was never without it in public again.

**Mid June-**

When Kakashi was thirteen he stood at the memorial stone. Obito had died as a hero. And he had taught Kakashi that The White Fang of Konoha was also a hero. It would still take some time for Kakashi to forgive his dad. But he knew now that he could and would.

Now the whispers Kakashi heard were made with awe as people spoke of his actions. His name changed from the Disgraced White Fang's son to Kakashi of the Sharingan. His name was spoken in fear by his enemies and in reverent honor by his countrymen. Yet still he kept the mask as he pointedly ignored those who held him in such high regard.

**Early April-**

Three years and six months after his Sensei, Minato Namikaze, died during the attack of the Nine Tails; seventeen year old Kakashi Hatake stood on top of the tallest forest tree he could find, in the middle of a thunder storm. The Chidori that Obito had helped him create was alive in his hand only this time it was more concentrated and powerful. His sharingan, another gift from Obito spun as it caught the bolt of lightning forming in front of him. Faster than anyone could see the new and enhanced Chidori sliced through the bolt of lightning and split it in half. After that Kakashi dubbed his newly formed S- rank jutsu Raikiri or _Lightning Cutter_. And no one could say that the boy with the lighting release chakra was afraid of thunderstorms.

**A/N: Yes I know I tweaked the timeline a bit to better fit my story. Sorry I hope it doesn't offend anyone. Thanks to those who continue to read and review. This one is for you guys. I hope you like it. Don't worry I have not stopped **_**Hatake Strings**_**. I just wanted to get this outta my head. It was bugging me. **


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